Joe Mixon To Declare For 2017 NFL Draft
Before Mixon announced his intentions to go pro, NFL Draft analyst Tony Pauline indicated the junior could go undrafted. If they want to get someone else to be university president that's in the destruction business, get 'em.

Mubadala Said to Eye Up to $15 Billion SoftBank Fund Backing
The Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also pledged an investment, worth up to $45 billion over five years. SoftBank has risen 31% in the previous year as its US telecom subsidiary Sprint's (S) balance sheet improved.

Microsoft May Release the Windows 10 Creators Update in April
Tech giants much like, Dell, ASUS, Lenovo, Acer all are into VR headset making business and to make them work on Windows 10. Though the migration of users to Windows 210 slowed down a bit in the recent months, and the free upgrade ended last July.

Twitter reacts as Chelsea stars clash in crunch game at Spurs
Chelsea's lead over second-place Liverpool remains five points, while Tottenham are now seven points off the pace in third place. I suspect Premier League history will be denied them, but a score draw will ensure that Conte's march toward the title goes on.

Broncos hire Vance Joseph as new coach
Joseph spent just one season as the defensive coordinator in Miami before getting his shot at becoming a head coach in the NFL. Another former Bengals assistant is now in line to become the next defensive coordinator of the Dolphins.

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Debuts at The Detroit Auto Show
Inside the cabin, the Tiguan gets VW Group's stellar Digital Cockpit instrument display along with a suite of available apps. The R-Line can be optioned with either the four- or six-cylinder engine options, and either front- or all-wheel drive.

Winter storm warnings issued as wintry mix threatens South
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for southeast coastal Rhode Island and south coastal MA . The advisory is for 1 to 3 inches of snow that will spread over the area this afternoon into the overnight.

Virginia Republican Files Transgender Bathroom Bill
The Texas Association of Business opposes the ban, saying it could cost Texas businesses $8 billion in revenue. The debate over the measure is expected to be among the most closely watched of the session.

Limited stores closing for good Sunday
Some 4,000 workers at The Limited , including 800 full-time employees, will lose their jobs, Reuters reported. The announcement noted that the company's website would remain open for business, 24 hours a day.

Despite slow start, CDC says flu season is coming
Between Christmas and New Year's Eve, 70 patients in this state were hospitalized with the flu and one person died from it. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Seattle & King County's Public Health Office, said in a Q&A on their blog.

Islamic State Blows Up Government Buildings On Iraq's Mosul

Iraqi troops in Mosul have battled their way to the Tigris River running through the center of town, marking a milestone in the almost three-month-old offensive aimed at reclaiming the northern city from Islamic State militants.

All the major bridges between the two sides of the city have now been cut, making it more hard for Isil to send supplies and fighters from the west to the beleaguered east.

The United States leads an worldwide coalition against the Islamic State that carries out airstrikes, trains Iraqi forces and gathers intelligence, while the Iraqi government, Shiite-led militias and the Kurdish Peshmerga engage the Sunni Islam militant group in ground offensives.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a recent report that the military operations in Mosul have pushed about 136,000 civilians to flee their homes in the city and its adjacent districts since the beginning of military offensive in October to reclaim the IS largest stronghold in Iraq.

Al-Faysaliya is located north of several districts captured by Iraqi forces on Monday, as the troops secured further advances against the militants by the Tigris River.

The United Nations' humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) said almost 700 people had been taken to hospitals in cities in Kurdish-controlled areas outside Mosul in the last week, and more than 817 had required hospital treatment a week earlier.

The advances however did slow down in November and December as the IS put up fierce resistance and used the civilian population as cover, therefore making it hard for Iraqi forces to target them. Dozens of militants have been killed by Iraqi troops backed by USA -led coalition forces. They have also blown up bridges crossing the Tigris to try to slow the Iraqi advance, military officials say.

The operation, which some Iraqi leaders said would end by 2016, had slowed when ISIS fighters began using civilians for cover.

A spokesman for the rapid response units of Iraq's federal police Lieutenant-Colonel Abdel Amir al-Mohammedawi, told Reuters IS was hiding among civilians.

"Whenever they (IS) withdraw from a district, they shell it at random, and it's heavy shelling", he added.

Since then, Iraqi security forces, backed by worldwide coalition forces, have inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul and made progress on other routes around the city.

Major General Najm al-Jubbouri said, "They will soon liberate other areas and hopefully finish the eastern side".